Catholic Knighthood? Is it relevant in today's society?

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Hello Everyone,

When most people think of Catholic Knights and Knighthood nowadays the first things that probably pop into your mind are the medieval Crusades, wars against Islam, Christians killing “innocents”, and various Templar / Free Mason conspiracy theories. Some putting aside this pre-programmed emotional response may form a picture of a more contemporary lay social welfare organization such as the Knights of Columbus. Still others may push past that to reference current geo-political military associations and self-styled traditionalist militias.

I’d like to open a discussion on the true meaning and purposes of Catholic Knighthood, what do we know about it historically? How is it referenced today? What is the current state of Catholic Knighthood? Who should be called a Catholic Knight and what purpose is there for Catholic Knighthood in today’s society? Are there really still actual Catholic Knights?

For reference, I am a committed Latin-Rite Catholic, and have been a Knight of the Church for some years - though I only speak for myself, and I can only offer my personal insights. Feel free to ask questions and let’s see where we go! God bless!
 
I believe the Sovereign Order of Malta is the last heraldic organization. It today functions in a manner similar to the Red Cross.
 
Within the US and Canada, the K of C has been thoroughly vetted or molded by the priests, bishops, and much of the Catholic laity. It has lasted since 1882 but has adjusted repeatedly to meet the changing needs of society and the Church. So it does, for the most active members, meet much of the criteria for being “Catholic knights”.
 
there is no such thing as a “knight” in the US

that is a “title”

americans don’t beieve in that
 
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One of my old priests used to be a member of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

I was taking a class, and the woman sitting next to me was a member of the Order of Malta.

I do know a guy who bought himself a collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece. I don’t think he’s Catholic at all— it’s more of a RenFaire accessory to him. But, yeah, that one makes me wince every time I see it, but I know he’s very happy with it. I’m probably the only person in the room who knows anything about it, and I think he has no clue it’s still active…


Membership in an Order isn’t a cookie, it’s a job, that comes with rights and responsibilities. I’m happy to see the pageantry, the color, and the charity that give the Orders their reason for continued existence. Keep it up, Knights and Dames! 🙂
 
there is no such thing as “knighthood” in the US

that is a “title”
 
There are definitely persons with the title of Kinght in the United States - it is just not a title bestowed by the United States!
 
Thanks for starting off the conversations.
Here are some factual responses to some of the current lines of questions:
  1. Technically, to be officially “knighted” requires a Sovereign Monarch. The Sovereign provides the legal Fons Honorum (Font of Honor) which is the legal standing required for a valid knighting to be officially recognized politically. So, since the United States is a democratic republic and there is no monarch, the United States does not confer knighthoods. However, this isn’t to say that the United States doesn’t recognize an official knighthood conferred by other nation states granted to United States citizens. There is a whole regiment of official policies and protocols within the United States government that govern these recognitions.
  2. There are many U.S. Catholics that are Knights and Dames (the title for a woman who is “knighted”).
  3. The Pope is the reigning monarch of the sovereign political entity of the Vatican City State, and as such is able to grant valid knighthoods and create knightly Orders.
More to come…
 
brian_custer said:
there is no such thing as “knighthood” in the US

that is a “title”
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I suppose you are referring to the 11th amendment which prohibits citizens from accepting “titles of nobility” from a foreign power. First of all, the titles of Knighthood bestowed by the Pope (Knights of Malta and Knights of the Holy Sepulchre) are not titles of nobility. Even in Europe, the title of knight was no longer considered a title of nobility after the late middle ages (hence commoners in England are still knighted today).
But they are certainly titles and they certainly exist in the US.
 
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Sorry to have to tell you, there are plenty of Knights living in the US.

Many of whom attend (name removed by moderator) parades with me each year. Do yourself a favour, if you don’t know what you are talking about; don’t type.
 
I think rather than starting off with debating the political aspects of Knighthood, I’d like to open an area of thought on the root questions around what it means to be a Knight of the Catholic Church…especially in today’s world climate and continuous campaigns of disinformation. For today’s Catholic, why would anyone want to aspire to be one?

Here’s how I look at my own Catholic Knighthood:

First and foremost it is a personal and spiritual vocation, not just a political title, and the decorations and vestments worn are sacramentals, blessed by the lawful Ordinaries of the Church. They are not mere trinkets or pompous uniforms for social climbers. It is a privilege to be called to serve the Successor of St. Peter and the People of God he shepherds in the name of our God and savior, Jesus the Messiah.

As Christians we are all called to lives of holiness and charity. My position as a knight of the Church is the same as it always has been since its inception in the life of the Church - to exemplify a life of holiness and charity through my papal charge as a Defender of the Faith and temporal Protector of the weak and the innocent.

Catholics called to knighthood are to be visible and active in their vocation and role, which is uncomfortable in today’s politically correct world. There are many within the Church who exemplify and practice knightly virtues, but to be a Knight requires the courage to publicly stand in front of those in need and to absorb the slings and arrows in their place, as much as Christ (our example) did for us by dying for our sins, Knights are called to spiritual and temporal Christ-like behavior, in the name of Jesus and His Church, selflessly, on behalf of, and in defense of, others.
 
As both a US Military Veteran and a current Knight of Columbus, I certainly consider myself to be a Catholic Knight.

To me, Catholic Knighthood is about chivalry, about honor, about respect. It’s about faith, about bravery, about being a Warrior for Christ. It’s about standing up to injustice whereever one may find it, consequences be damned. It’s about being bold and unashamed to speak the Truth in Love.

I tend to see and think of myself like this:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

But I think in reality people actually see me like this:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

😃
 
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Spyridon said:
As both a US Military Veteran and a current Knight of Columbus, I certainly consider myself to be a Catholic Knight.
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Hi Spyridon,

First, thank you for both of your services and your humor. I’m a U.S. military vet myself. I think that certainly the Knights of Columbus holds a special place in the life of the Church, especially in the U.S., and its members are to be honored for their ongoing charitable service to the Church. I think over time the KofC have admirably filled a void within the American Church left vacated by the traditional knightly Orders due mostly to the American culture and political landscape.

As well, I think that the additional erosion of truth by secular, and some progressive Catholic academia, has put a bad taste and fostered a distrust in the average Catholic’s mouth towards papal institutions in general.
 
I mean no disrespect to you or anyone involved in the discussion, but being Catholic isn’t about relevance, it’s about truth.
 
Truth is always relevant - by extension, Evangelism must needs remain relevant in order to be effective.

Irrelevance breeds inactivity, and inactivity leads to obsolescence.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
I mean no disrespect to you or anyone involved in the discussion, but being Catholic isn’t about relevance, it’s about truth.
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Hi adamhovey1988!

Thanks for joining in - Can you elaborate a little more on your thought? I don’t think I understand your statement 100%
 
ErraticFaith said:
Sorry to have to tell you, there are plenty of Knights living in the US.

Many of whom attend (name removed by moderator) parades with me each year. Do yourself a favour, if you don’t know what you are talking about; don’t type.
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Hi ErraticFaith,

Are you a Dame of the (name removed by moderator)? (For those who don’t know - ‘(name removed by moderator)’ is the acronym for the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta)

If so, how would you describe your Catholic Knighthood?
 
I suppose this is a red herring, but I do wish the KoC would get rid of those hats. (Just my opinion, of course.)

They often do awesome work in our culture to make it more Gospel-centric, but I still think the hats… um…well, yes, I think a new plan is needed in that area. Traditions need to change with the times…sometimes. 🙂
 
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